Thermit-shell.



. tion. A lining 2 PETER C. HANSEN, 0F SPOKANE, WASHINGTON.

THERMTT-SHELL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 2'7, 1918.

Application filed March s, 1918. Seria1No.221,278.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, PETER C. HANSEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Spokane, in the county of Spokane and State of Washington, have invented new and useful Improvements in Thermit-Shells, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to explosive shells and it consists in the novel features hereinafter described and claimed.

An object of the invention is to provide a shell which is normally not explosive but which is explosive and is adapted to explode when subjected to'the force which propels the shell from the piece from which it is fired to the object upon which it is directed. Therefore the shell may be handled, stored or transported without danger of premature explosion. I

A further object of the invention is to provide-in a shell of the character stated means for scattering shrapnel bullets and intense fire at the time of the explosion, the said bullets and fire being poured upon the object or objects to result in the destruction or conflagration which will eventually effect destruction by consumption.

With these objects in view the shellcomprises a body which is lined with a heat resisting material as for instance clay and in which is embedded shrapnel bullets. An inflammable material as for instance thermit is retained within the body and the said material is of such nature that it requires an intense heat to ignite the same but when it is ignited it gives off an intense heat. A fir ing plug is inserted in one end of the body and includes means for igniting the thermit. A tube is inserted in the forward end of thebody and is normally closed by a plug. The said tube is adapted to retain a volume of water. A hermetically sealed chamber is located in the tube and is at all times surrounded by the water.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the shell.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the same.

Fig. 3 is afragmentary detailed elevation of the rear end portion of the shell.

The shell comprises a body or casing 1 which may be made of steel or other suitable mat'erial'and which is of usual configuraof clay or other similar material adapted to protect the casing from the excessive heat which is generated in the shell extends over the inner surface of the casing 1 and shrapnel bullets 3 may be embedded in the said lining.

A tube 4 leads in from the forward end of the casing 1 and extends longitudinally thereof. The tube 4 is permanently closed at its rear end and temporarily closed at its forward end by a plug 5 which is screwed in the forward end of the said tube. The

.tube 4 is adapted to retain a volume of Water 6. A hermetically sealed chamber 7 is located in the tube 4 and is completely surrounded by the water 6. Whensubjected to excessive pressure the chamber will col lapse. The tube 4 is surrounded by a volume of inflammable material 8. This material may be thermit or any other material which will ignite when subjected to an extremely high temperature and which when ignited will give off or generate an intense heat.

A firing mechanism is carried at the rear end of the casing 1 and the said mechanism includes a plug 9 having a chamber 10 and which carries a cartridge 11. A firing pin 12 is slidably mounted in the plug 9 and may be brought in contact with the rear end of the cartridge 11. The pin 12 is provided at a point between its ends with a ruif 13 adapted to bear against a shoulder of the plug 9 whereby the longitudinal of the pin 12 in the plug may be limited and the pin cannot become detached from the plug. The pin 12 carries at its outer end a head 14 and a button 15 is pivoted upon the plug 9 and may be swung between the head 14 and the rear face of the plug whereby the pin 12 is restrained against longitudinal movement in the plug 9.

The chamber 10 retains a quantity of priming powder 16 which is located adjacent the cartridge 11. The said powder 16 is of such nature that it may ignite at a relatively low degree of temperature. The chamber 10 also incloses a volume of thermit powder and the end of the chamber is normally closed by a detachable cap 17.

When a gun is used for projecting the shell, the shell is loaded in the gun in the usual manner and the propelling charge is placed behind the shell. Previous to placing the shell in the gun the button 15 is moved from between the head 14 and the adjacent end of the plug 9. When the propelling charge is set off the shell is moved through the bore of the gun and the pressure moves the pin 12 longitudinally through the plug 9. The forward end of the pin 12 strikes the cartridge 11 which is fired by percussion and the said cartridge ignitesthe priming powder 16. The powder 16 ignites the powder in the forward end of the chamber 10 and the pressure incident to the generation of gas inthe chamber 10 will be suflicient to force the cap 17 away fromthe chamber l0. 'Thus the inflammable material 8 is subjected to the heat from the power in the chamber 10 and the material 8 is ignited. As hereinbefore stated when the material 8 is ignited it generates an intense heat. During the flight of the projectile through the air the heat from the material 8 penetrates the sides of the-tube-l and-transforms the water 6 intosteam. This takes place approximately six seconds after the projectile leaves the muzzle of the gun.

By reason of the fact that the forward end of the tube is closed by the plug 5 and the water is transformed into steam an intense internal pressure is generated in the tube 4 and this will first collapse the chamber 7. The presence of the chamber 7 will make the generation of the steam in the tube 4 uniform along the length of the tube that is to say one portion of the tube cannot steam and burst before all been transformed into steam. The tube 4 is not of suflicient strength to retain the pressure of the steam generated therein. Therefore the tube 4 will rupture and the steam pressure passes into the casing 1 and the lining 2. These are ruptured by the.

internal pressure and the fragments are scattered in all directions. In the meantime the material 8 is burning and this maof the water has the shell is being transported it may be devoid of the volume of water 6 thus making it absolutely impossible to burst the shell by explosion. At the time that the shell is to be inserted in the gun the water 6 may be poured into the tube at andthe plug 5 closed in the end of the tube.

Having described the invention what is claimed is 1. A shell comprising a casing, a tube located in the casing and adapted to contain water, a hermetically sealed chamber located in the tube, inflammable material surrounding the tube and means for igniting the. inflammable material.

2. A shell comprising a casing, a tube located in the casing and adapted to contain water, inflammable material surrounding the tube, a firing mechanism comprising a cartridge, a pin slidably mounted and adapted to engage the-cartridge and a riming ma-' terial located between the cartridge and the inflammable material.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

PETER c. HANSEN. 

